Waiting game is getting old for Wild's Bouchard

By Bruce Brothers

The Wild's fanciest skater can't skate, and it's killing him.

Forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard, he of the dynamic spin moves and pinpoint passes, donned ice skates for the first time in a month Friday morning to join teammates for the official team photo. As soon as he stepped on the Xcel Energy Center ice, he grabbed a stick and a puck and glided toward one of the nets to launch a few shots.

Sidelined by post-concussion syndrome, Bouchard has played just one game this season while the Wild have sputtered to a 5-10 record.

"It feels good to skate, stickhandle a little bit and just feel the ice," he said. "It definitely feels good, even if it's only for two minutes."

Bouchard, who at 25 already is in his seventh season with the Wild and ranks second on the team's all-time scoring list with 267 points, walked into the dressing room after pictures were taken, sat down in front of his stall and savored the experience of simply wearing his gear. He untied his skates but refused to take them off, uncertain when he would be able to put them back on.

He sat for an interview, the room to himself as the other players practiced, talking about how much he misses a game he has played for most of his life. When the interview ended, he finally tugged off one of his skates, hoisted it to eye level and said, "I'll see you soon, buddy."

There is no timetable for Bouchard's return.

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He cannot even work out lightly until the symptoms — mostly pressure in his head and occasional headaches — disappear.

"It might take some time," he said, noting that getting no more exercise than a 20-minute walk around his St. Paul neighborhood once or twice a day is nearly unbearable for a typically active athlete.

"I'm really not used to it," he said, "and I don't want to get used to it."

This was going to be Bouchard's year.

After notching 13 goals and a franchise-record 50 assists during the 2007-08 season, Bouchard hit a lull last season, totaling just 46 points in 71 games and missing the final eight games because of a concussion. When coach Todd Richards decided in the fall to shift him to center in a more offensive system, Bouchard became even more motivated.

"I was really excited," he said. "A new position, a lot of changes, new staff and different system."

A native of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Bouchard worked out over the summer and believed he was fully recovered from getting knocked into the boards during a March 28 game against the Islanders in New York. The headaches disappeared, and he came to training camp hopeful and positive.

"Then that first exhibition game came and I got elbowed right on the chin," he said.

He was diagnosed with a virus, but after that cleared up, the headaches remained. The Wild sent him to see renowned neurologist James Kelly in Denver, and Kelly told Bouchard he might have been only 90 percent recovered before the latest hit brought the symptoms back. Doctors have told him that, when he's recovered, "my head's going to be stronger than it was before," Bouchard said. He also believes that by persevering, "mentally I will get stronger."

The only treatment is tough for an athlete: rest.

"My days are pretty much, I sleep, I eat, I watch a little bit of TV, a little bit of computer, I can read a couple pages, relax and nap and I take one or two walks a day," he said. "I've got to get some fresh air and get out of the house and just get my body going."

Although there's no dizziness and his eyes are clear, he limits his TV time and his time on the computer. He watches home games from the press box and road games on television, agonizing over the team's slow start, and wishes he could pitch in.

His main goal is to remain patient.

"I've had some days when I'm not," he said. "I was in a bad mood and you just get grumpy. You want it to heal quicker.

"It's not easy. When you're used to playing a lot of games, when you have an injury, it's a battle to stay calm and stay positive."

Ask him about the Wild, however, and the optimism surfaces.

"It's frustrating to watch," he said, "but the guys are working hard, they're trying, and I'm sure they're going to be able to turn it around."